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AMA Drone Report 12.14.17

Says Data In Recent ICE Bulletin Is 'Deeply Flawed'

Dronemaker DJI has released a statement refuting assertions that it is providing data collected by its popular drones to the Chinese Government, as has been suggested by the U.S. Government.

In the statement, DJI says it is aware of a bulletin about DJI issued in August by an agent in the Los Angeles office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The company says the bulletin is based on clearly false and misleading claims from an unidentified source. Through the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, DJI provided ICE a detailed rebuttal of the report, explaining why the data behind its conclusions is deeply flawed.

"As DJI explained to ICE, the allegations in the bulletin are so profoundly wrong as a factual matter that ICE should consider withdrawing it, or at least correcting its unsupportable assertions. DJI further urged ICE to consider whether the source of the allegations may have had a competitive or improper motive to interfere with DJI’s legitimate business by making false allegations about DJI," the company said in the statement.

"Many of the allegations in the ICE report are obviously false. The claims that DJI systems can register facial recognition data even while powered off, that Parrot and Yuneec have stopped manufacturing competitive products, and that DJI products have substantial price differentials between the U.S. and China can be easily disproven with a basic knowledge of technology and the drone industry, or even a simple internet search.

"Other allegations in the report are similarly unsupported by facts or technical analysis. For example, DJI does not access its customers’ flight logs, photos or videos unless customers actively upload and share them with us. Further, DJI’s new Local Data Mode stops all internet traffic to and from the DJI Pilot flight control app to provide enhanced data privacy assurance for customers flying sensitive missions.

"DJI has built its reputation on developing the best products for consumer and professional drone users across a wide variety of fields, including those who fly sensitive missions and need strong data security. We are committed to helping our customers keep their private data private, and we have expressly advocated for our customers’ right to privacy in their drone operations, even where others in the industry have taken the opposite position. We will continue working to provide our customers the security they require," the statement concludes.